Everybody's a Little in Love with Kara Danvers
by RatherAbysmal
Summary: Lucy never did have the best love life. Perhaps that was why she was drunk and knocking on Kara's door in the middle of the night. Canon up to 1x12 (Bizarro) but will use elements from future episodes.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl. This is fanfiction.

* * *

Never let it be said that Lucy was a good drunk.

Good in the sense that it wasn't bad.

No, Lucy was a bad drunk who couldn't hold her liquor and made outrageously poor choices—like standing in front of Kara's apartment at one in the morning in the middle of the work week.

"Kara! Answer the door!" she yelled after a series of loud knocks. "Kara! I know you're in there!"

She didn't but if Kara was there and ignoring her, then a remark like that may convince her to answer. Yes, Lucy's brand of drunk logic veered on the paranoid side.

"Kara, please answer!" She knocked a few more times and just as she was about to leave and make herself a damsel in distress, since it appeared Kara was more opened to responding as her alter ego, the door cracked opened.

Judging by her rumpled pajamas and lopsided glasses, Kara must have just gotten up. The blonde blinked blearily at her. "Lucy, what happened? Why are you here?"

Her anger came rushing back. "Because—because you're a liar!"

Kara did a double take. "What?"

"You have been lying to me the entire time! You and James and Winn!" She tried to jab a finger in her direction for emphasis but lost her balance, falling against the doorway clumsily.

Kara wrinkled her nose. "Are you drunk?"

"No."

Kara raised her eyebrow.

"Maybe."

"Do you want me to call James for you?" she asked, reaching a hand out.

Lucy shook her away and glared at her. "No. Why? We're not together anymore."

"Oh..."

"I broke up with him so that you and he could have a chance."

Okay, maybe that was unnecessary because Kara was now gaping like a fish.

"There is nothing going on between James and I," she sputtered, voice high and face going pink. "We're just friends!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I know you like him, and I admit I'm jealous but I'm mostly mad at James for restarting a relationship he clearly had one foot out of!" She kicked at the hallway wall. "I thought he'd changed!"

"I'm sorry," Kara said softly.

Lucy glanced at her, noting the genuine sorrow in her eyes and the huddled shoulders. It was distressful and doleful at the same time, and neither suited Supergirl's persona.

"I know you're Supergirl."

"What?!" Kara blanched.

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "I said I know you're Supergirl."

She forced a laugh. "I'm not—you have the wrong idea. I'm not Supergirl. What makes you think that?"

Lucy crossed her arms. "I'm not stupid, Kara. I know what I know and that's why I'm here, drunk and yelling in your face because I can't believe it took me so long to figure out!"

"It's the alcohol talking," Kara muttered, nervously tucking in a stray hair from her face.

"Kara, are you kidding me?" she yelled. "You're still going to stand there and lie to me? After you saved me earlier? I know it was you. Everything just clicked together! So don't you dare take me for a fool!"

Kara looked up and down the hallway. "Would you be quiet?" she shushed. "I'm not who you think I am and you're clearly not thinking straight. Let me call you a cab, okay? It's late and we both have work in the morning…"

Lucy wasn't going to have any of that. She reached for Kara's glasses but the girl pushed her away. Lucy reached with her other hand to pull the tie out of Kara's hair, which prompted a weird struggle as Lucy attempted to peel her disguise away and Kara keeping her at arm's length.

The struggle was anything but quiet.

"Kara, dear, is everything alright?"

Both ladies froze. Kara's elderly neighbor had stepped out from next door, looking quite worried.

"Mrs. Hampstead! Good evening!" Kara beamed, losing her balance slightly as Lucy continued to pull at her hair tie. "I'm sorry about the disturbance. My friend here is a little drunk and I'm trying to get her to settle down."

"Kara, it's the middle of the night. It's hardly time to have visitors over. What would your sister say?" the old lady chided.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hampstead," she apologized, face red as the lady shook her head and went back inside. "Lucy, get off! It looks like you're trying to molest me!"

"Say you're Supergirl and I'll stop," she slurred.

"God, you're drunk and crazy!"

"Say it or I'll start screaming."

"Lucy, you're being ridiculous!"

"SUPERGIRL!"

Kara clamped a hand over Lucy's mouth. "Okay, okay! I'm Supergirl. Now please, be quiet!" she whispered loudly.

She looked frantically down the hallway again, afraid the screams would have woken the entire floor. When Lucy had quieted, Kara released her grip. She herded her inside and closed her front door.

"Happy now?" Kara asked angrily.

"No," Lucy whined, and puked over the floor.

* * *

Lucy was startled awake by the sound of a slamming door. Just as quickly, she was hit with the mother of all hangovers and the stark realization that she had confronted Kara in said inebriated state and had ultimately made a big dunce of herself.

She mentally grumbled and ran her hands over her weary face. She squinted at the wall clock—it was just past seven. She pressed her head against the pillow in agony. She did not want to get up. She lifted her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was lying on the couch in front of the television, under a thick blanket. At the foot of the couch was a bucket, which brought on the memory of puking over Kara's floor. Embarrassment stirred up and Lucy was suddenly apprehensive to face her. Maybe if she feigned sleep long enough, Kara would leave for work and then she could make her escape.

Unfortunately, it seemed Kara was arguing with someone and Lucy vaguely remembered that it was the sound of a door that pulled her from her sleep.

"Kara, you're unbelievable," a woman whispered sharply.

"Why are you making it sound like my fault?" Kara whispered back, just as furiously.

The woman huffed. "Are you kidding me? You could learn a thing or two from your cousin. You're hardly subtle."

"I can be subtle," Kara scoffed.

"You have to be more careful! Two weeks ago, it was the owner of the Chinese restaurant! She caught you changing in the back by the dumpsters!"

"I told you we were golden! She won't tell!"

There was a long suffering sigh. "She won't because you're her best customer… and because you let her take an Instagram photo with you as Supergirl, hashtag best pot stickers in the city!"

"Hey, Mrs. Li is a nice lady and so is Lucy. We just have to talk to her."

"Talking doesn't fix everything. Her father is General Lane. Remember him? Hates aliens? Even your pathetic puppy eyes and sad pout wouldn't work on him."

"Then we'll call James. He's Superman's biggest fan and she was going to marry him. That has to mean something."

"Was being the key word," deadpanned the woman.

"It won't hurt to call him anyway."

Lucy decided to put a stop to it right then and there—the last thing she needed was James learning about this drunken mishap.

"Please don't," she said hoarsely. She cleared her throat as the two abruptly ceased their conversation.

"Lucy… you're awake," Kara stated, sounding entirely too chipper for what was about to transpire.

Lucy sat up on the couch, hoping dreadfully that her hair wasn't as messy as it felt, nor was her make up smudged. She caught sight of the other woman and felt her stomach drop. "Oh, you're the agent from the DEO."

The agent only raised an eyebrow in response.

Right. Of course. "You're the sister. Alex."

Kara had countless praises for this woman but the last thing Lucy felt for her was awe. She was surely here to take care of business and Lucy was a loose end.

Kara smiled edgily. "How are you feeling?"

Lucy winced. "I've been better."

Awkward silence.

"Would you like something to eat? Drink? I'm sure I have some painkillers somewhere…" Kara wringed her hands, suddenly looking like she forgot something.

Alex rolled her eyes and pulled a tablet bottle from her purse.

"Right," Kara said as she took the bottle and placed it on the coffee table before Lucy. "I never needed any so I don't have any here."

"Kara!" Alex growled.

"What?!"

"This is exactly the kind of behavior I'm talking about. Don't make it so obvious!"

"I'm not!"

Alex sighed, stopping before Lucy with a stern glare in place. "Okay, let's stop beating around the bush. You know. We know you know. How did you find out?"

"That Kara is Supergirl?" This felt oddly like an interrogation but she wasn't sure Kara was playing good cop correctly by bringing over a plate of toast and a cup of coffee.

"There was an accident at the railway yesterday. She caught me as I was falling off the platform… and I just knew."

Alex glowered. "You just knew?"

"I mean, I never got a good look at Supergirl before and when I did, I just knew." She took a tentative bite of toast as Alex directed a calculating glare on her. "It was familiar. Not just her face or the way she spoke but it was like one of her hugs and the way she smelled."

Lucy held up the pillow she had been sleeping on. "Like this."

Alex did not look inclined to sniff the pillow so Lucy put it back down. She went back to her toast, focusing extra hard on chewing.

Alex turned to Kara. "I guess you have to stop hugging people and change your perfume every once in a while," she said finally.

"Ha, ha, funny," Kara replied, crossing her arms.

Alex pushed aside Lucy's plate and sat on the coffee table, leveling Lucy with a look that would make a grown man wet himself. "What do you plan to do now that you know who Supergirl is?"

Lucy straightened her back and met her gaze with an equally stoic one. "If you want to know whether or not Kara's secret is safe with me, then yes it is. I won't tell anyone. Kara is my friend," she smiled apologetically at Kara who grinned back at her, "and so are James and Winn."

"What about your father? If I recall correctly, you were quite against aliens doing as they pleased on our planet."

"Don't mistake my father's intentions for my own, Agent Danvers. If I had wanted to compromise Kara, don't you think I would have done it already? Why come here smelling like a distillery and making a huge imbecile of myself?"

Alex narrowed her eyes. "Fair point," she ceded, rising to her feet.

Kara sagged with relief.

"It doesn't mean I won't have eyes on you," Alex forewarned. "I have the resources to make your life a literal living hell."

"Alex!" Kara screeched. She turned to Lucy. "She doesn't mean that."

"Yes, I do!" Alex called over her shoulder as she made her way to the kitchen. "I'll be right back; I have to make a few calls. Have to make sure Hank calls off the cavalry."

"Alex!" she screeched again but was only met with the sound of the front door. She sat on the couch, making sure to put a few inches of space between them. "I'm really sorry about Alex."

Lucy smiled weakly as she downed two pills. "It's fine, Kara. She's just looking out for you. It's more than what my sister does for me now."

"I'm sure that's not true."

Lucy sighed. "Our relationship is rough. We were close when we were young but when our mom passed away, everything changed. She and Dad never saw eye to eye, still don't actually, and I've always been in the middle. I try my best to please him but I always feel like I come up short. Lois had always been better at everything. I've always been jealous of her."

"Well, I think you're pretty amazing. You're right up there with Alex and Miss Grant of people I aspire to be."

Lucy's face warmed. "That's um, very flattering. And sweet. I still can't believe you go around fighting bad guys. I can hardly imagine you throwing a punch."

Kara frowned. "Is it because I'm too nice and cheery? People always say that."

"Never," Lucy laughed. "If anything, I think you're too brave. To handle Cat Grant all day long and wear superhero spandex for all the public to see."

"Cat's not so bad and what's wrong with my suit? Is it lame? Does it look bad or something?"

"On the contrary, it looks very good," Lucy swallowed, "but why a skirt? It can't be comfortable flying around in that. Aren't you worried people can see up it?"

"Not really. I wear boy shorts underneath. It's not like I fly around commando."

Ah, okay. "That's good to know." Lucy kicked at the bucket at her feet. "I want to apologize for last night and for the mess. I'm not taking the break-up too well and things have been strained between my father and I. Learning that you were Supergirl kind of pushed me over the edge."

"Lucy… are you sure you're fine with me being Supergirl? You don't have to pretend to be friends with me if you don't want to. Alex isn't going to try anything. I won't let her."

Lucy met her gaze, wondering idly why Kara would wear glasses in her own home when she didn't need them. "Just tell me. Is Kara the real you? The one at work, the one I eat lunch with and have game nights with?"

"Yes. Lucy, I'm not pretending to be somebody I'm not." She gestured toward herself. "This is barely a disguise. I have a life outside of wearing the cape."

"If we're going to be friends, I want us to be honest with each other. That means you, James, and Winn have to stop making lame excuses whenever you have to go save the world."

Kara nodded.

"That also means I have to get this off my chest. When I found out you were Supergirl, it really stung. It meant James hadn't let go of his obsession with Super… people, and was one foot out of our relationship from the start. It meant my boyfriend, you, and Winn—my first friends in National City—have been lying to me. Albeit unintentionally," she added when she caught the look on Kara's face. "It bothered me. I know you have your reasons. I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm just trying to get you to see things from my view. I've been under a lot of stress and you're—you're just so perfect! Even as Kara!"

She looked troubled. "You're jealous of me?"

"Yes," Lucy admitted. "But I do consider our friendship important and I want us to be able to move past this. It's going to take some time for me to get used to the idea that you're Supergirl but I think I'm going to be okay with this. I'm going to be okay."

Kara smiled. "Is it alright if I hug you?"

"Come here," Lucy said, opening her arms. Kara wrapped her in a tight hug.

"I hope I don't smell too bad," Lucy muttered.

Kara shook her head. "You miraculously missed yourself when you barfed."

Lucy pulled back. "Did I get any on you?"

"Well…"

Lucy groaned. "You have to let me buy you lunch later. For like the rest of the month."

"I don't know, your pockets might feel a little light. I have a large appetite," Kara jested. "But are you sure going to work is a good idea? You're welcome to stay here until you feel better."

"I have a lot of work to catch up on. Besides, I have my own office. I can have my assistant field off anything that doesn't need my immediate attention."

Kara pouted. "Lucky."

Lucy couldn't help but feel a little smug. "I'm sure you'll have your own office one day."

"I don't know. I like working for Miss Grant."

Lucy shook her head in disbelief. "You're kind of amazing."

"Miss Grant really isn't so bad! Everyone's always asking me about my secret weapon; it's weird!"

"If only they knew!" Lucy laughed. She looked down at her wrinkled clothes. "Hey, is it alright if I use your shower? Your apartment is closer to CatCo and I'm not sure if I have time to run back to my place."

"Of course! Whatever you need, you're the guest."

"Oh, and could you not tell the boys about this?" Lucy grimaced and shook her head. "I mean, you could tell them that I know you're Supergirl but leave out the drunk and crazy part?"

Kara pushed her glasses up with a finger and chuckled. "Just that? I thought you were going to ask me something hard."

Before Lucy could reply, the front door opened and Alex came back in looking perturbed. She placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head, observing the two occupants curiously.

"Kara, is there a reason why Mrs. Hampstead is asking whether or not your nighttime visitor is your girlfriend?" she asked. She sounded decidedly amused, which was quite something for Lucy. She didn't think the agent possessed a sense of humor at all. She certainly didn't crack a smile when Lucy was at the DEO.

"Girlfriend?" Kara stammered, cheeks going pink. "Why would she ask that?"

Alex raised both eyebrows, mirth lining her mouth. "She said there were funny noises coming from your apartment."

"Oh, no…" Kara covered her mouth with her hand, clearly thinking back to last night.

Alex leaned on the counter none too casually. "Is there something I should know about?"

"No!" Kara denied. "And I'm not playing this with you right now. I have to get to work!" She strutted into her bathroom and slammed the door.

Alex sighed. "Fine, don't let me have my fun."

Lucy tried to melt into the couch but her luck wasn't having any of it.

Alex honed in her, half serious, half intent on making her life miserable. "So… is there something going on between you and my sister? Do I have to pull out my gun and give you the speech?"

"ALEX, YOU BETTER NOT OR SO HELP ME I WILL FLY YOU OUT AND LEAVE YOU STRANDED!" Kara screeched from her room.

"HEY, MRS. HAMPSTEAD SAID SHE WAS ALL OVER YOU LAST NIGHT SO EXCUSE ME IF I FEEL OBLIGATED TO CARRY OUT MY SISTERLY DUTIES!" Alex shouted back.

Lucy groaned into her hands. She was never going to drink again.

* * *

Alex offered to drive them to work, something Lucy was eternally grateful for even if the older Danvers neglected to stop giving her a hard time, and by the time lunch rolled around, she was feeling marginally better.

And as a woman of her word, she proceeded to make her way up to Kara's floor to take her out to lunch.

Only Kara wasn't there.

After meandering around Kara's desk for a minute, she tapped Winn on the shoulder. He jumped.

"Kara went to pick up your chicken salad!"

"What?"

He smoothed his hair back and chuckled nervously. "Sorry, I thought you were Miss Grant."

"I take it Kara is unavailable? Should I even bother to wait?"

"Um." He peered over her form to check up on Miss Grant, who was completely absorbed in her paperwork.

Lucy stepped into his line of sight. "Earth to Winn. I told Kara I was meeting her for lunch."

"Oh, right. Kara said you know now." He held out his arms. "Welcome to the Super Friends club. And about Kara… it's hard to tell with these things, you know. She could be back right this second or maybe a half hour from now…" He shrugged as if that was an adequate answer.

"Alright, tell her to text me when she gets back."

"Assuming Miss Grant doesn't throw more things onto her lap when she does."

"Sure, sure." Lucy waved off and headed for the elevators. To her dismay, the doors opened up to reveal James.

"Lucy, hi!" he greeted uncertainly.

"Hey."

They stood there for an awkward moment.

"Kara told me that you know," he started, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck. "I'm glad you're taking it well."

"Right, the secret you have been keeping," she confirmed bluntly.

He took a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you, I really did, but it wasn't mine to tell. I wanted to get Kara's permission before I said anything and you can imagine how sensitive it is for her. Her identity has been compromised before."

"I understand James, but I'm not mad about that. What I can't let go is that you chose to get back together with me when you knew you couldn't give it your all."

He nodded. "I'm sorry."

She sighed. "I'm sorry, too," she said, looking down at her shoes. "I've been trying to make us work and I think I pushed too hard. We had something special once and we lost it. I thought maybe we could get it back in a new setting—new city, new jobs, new friends.

"I think we were both hard on ourselves."

"Yeah."

"Perhaps we're better off as friends," he offered tentatively, a genuine smile in place.

Lucy felt the corners of her mouth lift. "Alright. Friends."

They exchanged bittersweet glances and parted ways, Lucy down the elevator and James to his office.

* * *

Lucy didn't see Kara again until the end of the day, during a meeting with Miss Grant and a few other employees.

It was decidedly strange. Miss Grant would not stop staring at her or Kara. Did she know about Supergirl's identity as well?

Lucy tried her best not to squirm or check her pocket mirror for any errs in her appearance, knowing full well that she looked fine. She made it a habit to duck into the bathroom right before every meeting with the CEO—one never knew when or how she was going to strike after all.

Kara on the other hand, didn't seem to deal with the peculiar attention well. She sat stiff as a board, impeccable posture looking quite painful this time around, with a cautious smile on her face. When she was not taking notes, she kept fiddling with her glasses, a nervous habit that Lucy was sure everyone had come to associate Kara with, and was beginning to make it a point to not meet her boss in the eye.

Lucy was sorely reminded why it irritated her that she hadn't seen through her disguise from the start. Kara was not a very good liar or very good at faking her way out of any stressful situation. Lucy could tell Kara was glancing at her periodically, most likely for help or support, but under Cat's watchful eyes, Lucy refused to add fuel to the fire.

Thankfully, the meeting did not run long. Everyone was eager to clock out, especially in light of the recent train problems, the very same one Lucy bore witness to a day prior. She gathered her papers quickly and was nearly out of the conference room when Miss Grant stopped her.

"Miss Lane, a word?"

Lucy put on her best smile, the same one she used to charm her father when she really wanted to do something but he was rather against it.

"Yes, Miss Grant?" she asked as soon as everyone but Kara had exited. She could practically feel Kara buzzing with uneasy energy. She wondered if Kara ever lost control of her powers as a result of her emotions.

Cat gave her a distasteful one over. "Would you care to explain why you're suddenly taking a page out of Kara's book of mediocre fashion?"

Oh.

Lucy looked down at her attire. She had borrowed a few things from Kara's closet—she could hardly wear the same thing to work the next day—and had chosen a pair of khakis and a sweater over a blouse. They were a little large on her but she didn't think anyone would notice. She had been holed up in her office for majority of the day.

Kara's relief was like air out of a balloon.

"Lucy stayed over at my place last night. She needed fresh clothes, so this," she gestured up and down Lucy, "is only temporary."

"I see." Cat did not look happy. "I didn't realize you two were close friends."

Lucy hardly thought it was any of her business but woe to the one who dared voice it to her face.

"We're getting to know each other better," Kara supplied. "We have a lot in common."

She grinned beatifically at Lucy who returned the smile, though not as equally perky.

"Really," Cat replied dryly. She dragged her eyes coldly over to Lucy. "Is this recent development accountable for your subpar and lackluster work as of late, Kiera? There is a reason why I discourage friendships in the workplace."

"Well, no," Kara stuttered.

Lucy crossed her arms. "Miss Grant, Kara and I work on different floors. We're not seeking each other out and having fun all day long." She pinched her forehead with her fingers. "And as I'm sure you've heard from the rumor mill, James and I are no longer together. Kara is a good friend and listener. What we do outside of work is hardly a matter of concern."

It was a sufficient counter on Lucy's part. Cat couldn't push too far on this without seeming too invested in the lives of her "insignificant" employees.

Cat breathed in deeply, choosing to adopt her nonchalant demeanor. "I suppose you're right."

Kara opened her mouth to say something but Lucy elbowed her.

"You're dismissed," Cat said tightly. "You too, Kiera. You may go home."

"Thank you," Kara said. "Have a good night, Miss Grant."

Lucy parroted her farewell.

The two exited together and Lucy waited by Kara's desk as she gathered her belongings. Lucy had brought her stuff with her to the meeting, eager to leave and get home.

"That was close," Kara breathed, as she stuffed her wayward belongings into her bag. "I thought she found out I was Supergirl again."

"Again?" Lucy hushed, bewildered.

"Yeah. I had to get a body double to fool her."

"Do I want to know?" At Kara's hesitant expression, Lucy shook her head. It was probably a DEO secret. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if some hard assed agent in black intercepted her with a stack of confidentiality papers a few days from now. "Never mind."

The two headed for the elevator, passing by the conference room again, where Miss Grant was reviewing over her spreads. She pointedly ignored them as they passed but once they had their backs to her, Lucy could feel the woman drilling holes into the rear of her skull.

"I'm glad she can't actually shoot daggers out of her eyes," Lucy muttered to Kara, who looked a bit confounded as they waited for the elevator.

"She's mad at me." She shook her head as if she couldn't believe it. "I don't know why."

"Maybe it's one of her off days. All I know is that I somehow fit into the equation. I've never seen her so cold towards me before. If I didn't know any better, I would say she's jealous but I'm sure that can't be it." She laughed to herself. "No way."

Kara stared at her. "How do you mean?"

"As in she's jealous that I'm spending time with you."

At her blank expression, Lucy continued.

"As in maybe she wants to keep you all to herself. Like a pet," she paused then added jokingly, "Tell me, Kara, is there something HR should be worried about?"

Kara made a face and then starting giggling with a strained voice. "No! She doesn't like me like that. Does she?"

Lucy shrugged non-committedly.

Kara went pale. "But-but she's my boss! That would be wildly inappropriate of her!"

"Hey, I was just messing with you. I didn't mean to freak you out or anything," she said as the elevator arrived. "Forget I said it."

Kara nodded and the two stepped in. Lucy pressed the button for the lobby, noticing from her peripheral that her friend was biting her lip as she waged an internal battle.

"Kara—"

"Okay," she blurted. "I used to have feelings for Cat."

Dead silence.

The doors opened and a few other employees stepped in. Kara pressed herself against the back corner, shrinking in as she avoided Lucy's shocked gaze. Lucy struggled for the right words to say but decided to wait until they were clear of other ears. However, as soon as they reached the lobby, Kara was suddenly in a hurry.

"Kara, wait! Where are you going?" She grabbed her arm to catch her attention.

"I'm really sorry if I made things weird," she apologized. "That's all I ever seem to do."

"Kara, it's fine." She made sure Kara was looking at her. "I'm just surprised is all. Miss Grant didn't exactly make your life easy, but it was one sided right? It's not like you two were in a relationship?"

Kara gaped. "NO, of course not!"

Lucy was strangely relieved. The thought of Kara and Cat together bothered her immensely.

"I don't need my life to get more complicated." She pushed her glasses back up her nose. "Besides, I like James now."

Ouch.

She faltered. "I didn't mean to say that."

Lucy took a deep breath. "Let's not talk about him."

"I really am sorry."

"Please stop apologizing. You're making me feel bad about something I shouldn't."

Lucy watched as a sea of people passed them, trying to put a bandage on her flurrying emotions.

"I have to go," Kara said, sounding tense.

Lucy refused to end her night like this. "Wait, do you want to grab a bite to eat? I still owe you lunch."

"I can't right now. I have to go."

"How about a quick coffee—" Someone bumped into Lucy, knocking her bag off her shoulder. Cursing, she bent to pick it up but by the time she looked back up, Kara was gone.

* * *

Lucy tapped meticulously at her phone.

"Hey Kara, I'm sorry I was so short with you," she read. "Please call me."

She frowned and deleted the message. "Hey Kara, want to hang out? I have food and movies."

She deleted that one as well. "Kara, I need your help! Please come over!"

Lucy groaned and threw down her phone. Since when was texting so hard? She glanced at the take-out she had on the counter, which she had ordered with Kara in mind. At first, she had been annoyed Kara had taken off without so much as a goodbye. What kind of friend does that? She certainly didn't think Kara was capable of such a distasteful habit. However, a quick news check on the way home alerted her of the whereabouts of the girl in question—in costume and putting out a fire downtown.

Okay, so maybe Kara had a good reason.

Anyhow, Lucy was the last person Kara had to account herself for and she didn't want to suddenly appear as if she was monopolizing all of the superhero's time but she couldn't stop over contemplating the tension leftover from their last conversation. Yes, they happened upon a weird place when Kara revealed her attraction towards Cat; it was quite the disadvantageous secret to have in her hands and very much out of the blue, especially considering how obvious Kara's crush on James had been. And then there was the disturbing notion that those feelings may be reciprocated on Cat's part, late as that may be.

Lucy made a note to not test her theory at work. The last thing she wanted to do was to stand outside CatCo with an office box in her arms. She did not need her father's judgement on this.

Worse yet, if Miss Grant was as shrewd as the rumors went, it would be Kara's career on the line. Lucy was probably an asset as far as the company was concerned.

She picked up her phone once more, typed a message, and sent it before she changed her mind. Kara may be Supergirl but she was not telepathic, no matter how much Lucy fretted in her living room. She grabbed a take-out box, settled on the couch, and flicked the television on. Perhaps the news would have something to say about her friend.

After about an hour, Lucy found herself watching an old spaghetti western with two half empty take-out boxes before her. She huffed as she tried to remember the plot of the movie but all she could think about was Kara.

She checked her phone. Still nothing.

Well, Lucy was not going to sit here and mope. If that's the game Kara wanted to play, then fine. Lucy had better things to do. Like sleep. She turned off the television and headed for the bathroom.

What Lucy did not expect to find when she exited however, was Supergirl sniffing through the food on her counter.

Lucy screamed. "Kara! What are you doing here?"

Kara screamed as well. "Why are you in a towel?! Don't tell me that's the surprise!"

Lucy had never blushed so hard. "NO! THE FOOD AND CAKE WERE!"

Kara had turned away from her, face red. "Oh."

"I didn't think you would come in through the window! Why didn't you use the front door like a normal person?! Or I don't know, call?!"

"I didn't think it would matter! You had your window wide opened!"

Lucy wanted to bang her head against the wall. "Forgive me, I thought you were Supergirl. Not Batman!"

"I'm sorry!"

This was not going the way Lucy planned. "Let's just take a moment to calm down. Help yourself to whatever you like while I go make myself decent."

Kara's blonde head nodded.

Lucy could not get to her bedroom fast enough. She shut the door and immediately started pacing. Her nerves were absolutely shot. Just when she thought Kara bailed on her, she comes swooping in and turning her life upside down. Was this what it was like to be friends with Kara? Was this what James had to deal with on a daily basis when they were together?

Lucy shook her head. She would not think about that. She would not be jealous. She walked the length of her room several more times before she realized Kara could probably hear her wearing a hole in the carpet. Damn super hearing.

She grabbed the first set of suitable pajamas she could find and ran a brush through her wet hair to make herself look less crazy. She took a deep breath and went back out to the living room.

Kara, still in her superhero suit, sat innocently on the couch with her hands tucked in front of her. Two empty pastry boxes were on the coffee table before her.

Lucy stared at her. "You ate both pieces of cake?"

Kara shrugged. "I was nervous."

"One of them was mine."

She gave a smile full of teeth. "I guess you don't owe me lunch anymore?"

Lucy grabbed the rest of the take-out boxes from the counter and placed them before Kara. "Here. If you're still hungry there's more. I already ate. Waiting for you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize you contacted me until I got home. There isn't a place for my phone on this suit."

"I can tell," Lucy said dryly. "You could have called ahead to tell me you were coming."

Kara flashed a sheepish grin as she dug into her food. "I got excited when you said you had a surprise for me. I love surprises."

Lucy flushed, thinking back to what Kara thought the surprise was when she came out in a towel, still wet from the shower. She could tell Kara was remembering it as well, if the pink cheeks were any indication.

"I'll be sure to never mention surprise again," Lucy said lightly, which prompted Kara to chuckle shyly.

Lucy watched her eat for a moment before asking. "Do you want to watch a movie? I have a lot just sitting on the shelf, gathering dust."

Kara paused, fork halfway to her mouth. "Okay."

She placed her utensil down and followed Lucy to the bookshelf. Kara ran a finger across the titles as she perused, softly mouthing words to herself. It amazed Lucy to see Kara as Supergirl despite knowing they were the same person. On the other hand, Kara was noticeably more open now that she didn't have to hide that part of herself.

Kara pulled out a disc and presented it to Lucy. "How about this one?"

"Okay. I haven't seen this one."

They settled on the couch, Kara with her take-out and Lucy with a small bowl of ice cream.

"We're okay, right?" Kara asked hesitantly.

Lucy punched her arm gently. "Yeah, we're okay."

Kara grinned and Lucy found that without her glasses, her eyes were the shiniest blue. The movie began and Lucy could feel the excitement rolling off of Kara. It was nice. It was nice having Kara here, joking and laughing and talking about stupid, random things. It had been a while since Lucy had a close female friend. Kara made her feel special.

The movie started out interesting but Lucy struggled to follow the plot halfway through. The day was taking its toll on her and the couch was so comfortable, her aching body melding to the soft fabric as the brisk evening air flowed in through the windows. It didn't help that Kara was so warm and her voice so familiar. It made her feel safe enough to let her guard down and before she knew it, Kara was shaking her awake.

"Lucy, hey. I have to go," she whispered.

Lucy burrowed into Kara's side. "Warm," she murmured.

"Lucy." A few more shakes.

"Hn."

Kara must have decided Lucy was a lost cause because she got up and started putting away the garbage they left from their late dinner. She could hear the sink running and the light clanging of dishes. She must have dozed off again because Kara was now lifting her from the couch. She carried her into the bedroom and slowly laid her down. Half asleep, Lucy snuggled into her cool pillow. Kara pulled her sheets up and turned off the light.

"Goodnight, Lucy," Kara whispered.

"Goodnight," she mumbled, eyes closed and smiling as Kara took off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl. This is fanfiction.

A/N: Thank you for all the likes and reviews! This chapter was harder to write than anticipated but I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

If someone had told Lucy a month ago that she would be sitting in Supergirl's kitchen and listening to her gush on and on about a guy, she would have laughed in their face. There was no feasible scenario in which she would choose to be friends with an alien, let alone one of the aliens her father so despises and wishes he could wipe off from the face of the Earth.

Of course, Lucy had not anticipated the likes of Kara Danvers, who is quite super even without the suit and really knows how to bring a smile to her face.

This, however, was not one of those moments.

"You should have seen him, he was so amazing!" Kara exclaimed, her eyes bright and her hands flying everywhere.

"I did, he was on all the news outlets," Lucy said dryly. She eyed the iced latte in front of Kara, which was quickly becoming oversaturated with water from the melting ice.

"He's just as fast as me and he was so nice and funny," the blonde continued, unaware of the lack of interest from her conversational partner. "He knew just what to say to make me feel better and he is so cool. The best part? He understood my weird jokes."

Lucy knew full well that Kara liked to tell jokes that sunk faster than they could swim. Sometimes they were jokes that treaded far into the "nerd" territory, having to do with comics or sci-fi, which understandably went over her head. Other times… they were just that bad.

"I don't know Kara, he might be hiding something unsightly under that mask," Lucy remarked snidely. "What sane person would name himself 'The Flash'?"

"Lucy!" Kara actually bugged out. "That's mean! And for your information, he is pretty handsome."

Lucy slumped back against her seat. "Sorry, but can we please talk about something else? You've been talking about the Flash the entire time! I get it! He's awesome but I can only hear about his cute dimples so many times!"

"Oh." Kara flushed. "Was I really talking about him that much?"

"Kara, I get that it was a one in a lifetime twilight experience but please don't crush too hard on him. He is from an alternate universe after all. You can't exactly go bouncing between them without imploding reality on itself."

Kara hummed in resignation. She took a long gulp from her latte, furrowing her brows at the diluted taste.

"Besides, I thought you liked James? Did you forget all about him?" Lucy asked.

Kara looked up surprised, which was expected considering that James was often a tabooed topic when it came to the pair.

"Kara, it's been a month," Lucy said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not made of paper. I thought one of you would have made a move by now."

"James has been dropping hints but I don't know. It doesn't feel like the right time."

"Is it because of Winn?"

Kara shook her head. "No, that was months ago. He's been seeing someone Alex set him up with and from what I hear, it's going well."

"Then what's wrong? Is it me? Because I'll be fine. Nothing would please me more than to see my two friends happy."

"No, it's not that. Not in that way," she hesitated. "My feelings have been kind of jumbled lately and I'm trying to sort them out, which is a funny thing to say because feelings are hardly stuff you can compartmentalize," she rambled, and gave an uneasy smile.

Lucy sensed that she was reluctant to say more on the matter, which suited her just fine. Despite the message she tried to convey, Lucy was still uncomfortable of the thought of Kara and James together. She didn't necessarily harbor strong feelings for him anymore but it bothered her on a level that Lucy was afraid to consider at this point of their relationship.

* * *

A few weeks passed and the weather had taken a warm and crisp turn. Lucy had eaten her lunch in a dainty park by the fountain and was heading back to her office when she saw Kara and Lois through the window of Noonan's.

She stopped in the middle of the street, stunned.

A few people brushed by her with a tsk of their tongue and a passing choice word but she couldn't work her mouth to muster an apology. It was almost as if her brain had short circuited.

Lucy could be as empowering as she wanted to be but when it came to her sister, she fell back on unequal footing. Lois was effortlessly stellar. She was that person everyone wanted to be or be with and it wasn't hard to understand how Lucy would be jealous. Lois was a lot like Alex, only Kara adored Alex and would have hung the moon for her if she could. Lucy would've too if she hadn't spent most of her life trying to _be_ Lois.

Still, Lois was one of the people she loved most in the world and it stung that she did not tell Lucy she was in National City. She hardly ever got to see her, especially since Lois was estranged from their father and mostly corresponded with her through brief calls or texts. Lucy racked her brain for any particular reason why she would be here, at CatCo's favorite food pickup place, and chatting with Kara Danvers of all people.

Lucy must have been gawking in the window for too long because Lois was looking straight at her. Lucy paled and pointed at her sister as if to ask what she was doing here. She chanced a glance at Kara, who was plowing on animatedly in her conversation, unaware that Lois had directed her attention elsewhere.

Lois gently grasped Kara's hand to stop her and pointed out the window. Kara looked up, momentarily confused before lighting up at Lucy's figure. Kara immediately turned back to Lois with a wide grin and excitement bubbling out of her. Lois smiled softly in response.

Lucy shifted her feet uneasily, feeling quite exposed in the afternoon bustle and slightly uncomfortable with the familiarity her friend and sister seemed to share. They didn't act like strangers at all and Lucy couldn't wrap her head around it.

Kara gestured for Lucy to come in and Lucy's throat went dry. She thought about making an excuse—she did have to get back to her office after all—but if she didn't at least stop in to chat for a minute, Lois would immediately know that something was up. That was the last thing Lucy wanted so she ordered her lead feet through the door.

"Hey, Lucy! Guess who I ran into!" Kara began happily. "Well, I guess you know because you can see us but isn't this exciting?"

Lucy gave a tight-lipped smile. "Hi, Kara. Lois. I didn't know you were in town. Why didn't you tell me?"

Lois leaned back against her seat coolly, legs crossed and arm on the table. She was the perfect poise of eloquence. "I finished some out of state work early and thought it might be nice to drop in. Clark has been meaning to visit so I thought why not make it a weekend trip."

Kara gasped. "Clark is coming too?"

"He'll be flying in tonight. He had some last minute work to wrap up."

Kara clasped her fingers together. "That's great! I can't wait for you to meet him, Lucy!"

So Kara has apparently met her sister's boyfriend as well. The gnawing in her chest intensified. "I've already met him. Back in Metropolis a few years ago."

"You did? But he doesn't know we're friends now."

"Um, alright."

Lucy had to be missing something here. No one was that excited to meet Clark Kent. No one that wasn't family or friend that is. And to be honest, Lucy was surprised that Lois was still dating him. The nice guy had never been her type. She used to drive their father crazy with her boyfriends.

When Lucy first met Clark, over a dinner with their father, she had not been impressed. Sure, Clark was homely and honest; he had a well-meaning personality, spoke jovially and was never confrontational. He had a quiet presence, despite being over six feet tall with a solid build, and was hardworking and homegrown. However, he was rather lackluster when it came to the men Lois usually brought home. Lois often attracted the charismatic and ambitious types, neither traits Clark seemed to possess.

Lucy liked him enough but knew he wouldn't last long in the company of her father. Clark was just too beta in his eyes, not to mention a little goofy. And clumsy. He nearly tilted over the vase in the foyer and had a near miss with a glass of wine. Both times Lois had saved him.

Lois took a slow sip from her mug. "How have you been, Lucy? You neglected to tell me you were working for Grant now."

Lucy narrowed her eyes. There wasn't a soul at CatCo who didn't know about the feud between their CEO and Lois Lane, and admittedly, Lucy had taken the job partly to see if all the rumors about Cat were true.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to give you an excuse to come over and mess with my _boss_. I do like this job, you know, and you have been known to be a relentless pain."

Kara frowned, whether at her boss's mental welfare when it came to likes of Lois or Lucy's obvious dig at her sister, she didn't know.

Lois rolled her eyes. Those who were in her circle knew that the grudge had always been more substantial on Cat's part. Lois could be a right menace when she wanted to be, adept at pulling strings to get what she wanted, whether it be a breaking news story or cultivating distress for a ruthless media rival.

"And uh, Kara, how do you know Lois?" Lucy asked. It was practically eating at her.

"We've met a long time ago, a few years after the Danvers took me in."

Lucy's throat went dry. "So you've known Lois since you were a teenager?"

Lois nodded. "You should've seen her. She was so dorky, it was adorable. Alex, not so much."

Kara sighed in exasperation. "Alex wasn't that bad."

Lois shrugged. "Define bad and I'll get back to you on that."

"How come you didn't tell me this before?" Lucy asked. "Did you not know Lois is my sister?"

Kara bit her lip. "No, I did. It's the first thing everybody said about you."

Even better. People knew her as Lois' sister, not as Lucy Lane.

"Lois also talked about you a lot," Kara continued.

Lois crossed her fingers. "Good things, I promise."

Kara giggled.

"And you didn't tell me because?" Lucy knew she was pushing too far on the matter but she was feeling hot and relatively annoyed.

Kara seemed to finally get the hint that her friend was not happy. "It just never came up—I wasn't even sure you talked to Lois anymore. I didn't want to be insensitive."

"A little too late for that."

"Wait, are you mad?" Kara asked, looking close to panicking.

"Yes," she answered with blunt reluctance. "I can't believe you knew this whole time and didn't say a word about it."

Even Lois looked alarmed. "Don't you think you're blowing this out of proportion?"

"Lois, you didn't even tell me you were here! How is that supposed to make me feel?" Lucy heaved a sigh. "Look, I have to go. I have to get back to work."

"Wait, Lucy—" Kara began.

"Kara, I have to go." With that said, Lucy hurried out of Noonan's as fast as her feet could take her.

* * *

Lucy wasn't even in her office for ten minutes when Lois came barreling in after her despite the sputtering protests of the assistant sitting outside.

"I need to speak to my sister," was all Lois offered before she slammed the door shut.

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose and flopped onto her chair with dread. This was going to happen whether or not Lucy wanted it to.

"Want to tell me what that was all about?" Lois heckled. Rather than sit across from her, she stood with a hand on the desk, subtly leaning part of her weight on it while looking imposing at the same time.

Lucy glowered at her. "No."

"Is that all you're going to say? Kara was distraught when you left. She couldn't even finish her food."

Kara never turned down edible substance. Then again, Lois apparently knew Kara well enough to take that as a serious sign.

"I'll speak to her later," Lucy said and got up and rounded her desk to a stack of cabinets by the wall. Catching the look on her sister's face, Lucy added, "I'll _apologize_ to her later, okay? Right now, I have a lot of work to finish."

Lois scoffed. "Not until you tell me what's bothering you."

Lucy slammed the drawer she had been rifling through. "I don't have to tell you anything. I'm allowed to be mad, aren't I?"

"So this is about me?"

Lucy whirled around to face her. "You didn't even tell me you were in the city! You and Kara met behind my back and I wouldn't have known because your relationship was a secret!" Lucy walked up to her and crossed her arms. "I'm allowed to be pissed about that."

"Lucy, you have to slow down. Way down. I didn't know you and Kara had become friends until we met up today. I wanted to check up on her first before dropping by your place. Clark had something set up for her and wanted to see if she was available later tonight."

There was that annoyed feeling again. "Just how close are you and Kara?"

Lois placed her hands on Lucy's shoulders. "Here's where I figure the problem is. Kara should have told you but she can be a real dunderhead about these things."

Lucy arched her brow.

"She and Clark are cousins."

Lois might as well have dumped a bucket of ice cold water on her.

"That is how Kara and I met. You can imagine how rough it was for her to acclimate. She needed all the support she could get so I happily obliged. Eventually, Clark and I became sort of a packaged deal and she started to consider me an honorary member of the family. I'm like the cool aunt she goes to when the Danvers or Clark can't help her."

Lucy swallowed. "So Clark is Superman?"

"He is," she nodded. "But I didn't know you were aware of Kara's secret until just a while ago—after you stormed out like a madwoman."

Lucy wanted to ask why she didn't tell her but held her tongue in afterthought. It wasn't hard to figure out why she wasn't privy to this piece of information. Lucy and Lois didn't have the close relationship that Kara and Alex had. They didn't have to tell each other everything, whereas Kara or Alex would probably throw a fit if either were to keep a significant secret from the other. Clark's alter ego wasn't Lois' secret to tell. Neither was Kara's. In fact, Lucy wasn't even aware of Kara's existence until she had started working at CatCo.

Still, the thought bothered her.

Lois moved out of their home as soon as she could, leaving behind a work-obsessed father and a young teenage sister. Lucy at that age had idolized Lois. Suddenly the time they spent together was cut down and Lucy didn't have an immediate person to turn to. To realize that Lois was probably giving that time to another teenage girl, raised some bitter feelings.

"This is a lot to take in," Lucy said.

"Yeah, it is." Lois paused. "Look, we're having a big dinner at Kara's place tonight. She wanted to invite her team, which now includes you, so please come. It'll be great."

"I don't know…"

"Lucy, come on. Here, I'll write down the details for you."

Lois scribbled on a notepad, ripped off the sheet and handed it to her. "I have to go meet Clark now but I assume Kara is back at the demon's office. If she doesn't come see you, please talk to her? She'll be a nervous wreck if you don't."

"No guarantee," Lucy mumbled.

Lois grinned. "I guess she deserves to stew a little but don't let her suffer too much. She means well." She picked up her purse and headed for the door. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, yeah, bye!" Lucy huffed. As soon as the door closed, she spun around in her chair until she was dizzy.

* * *

About halfway through the afternoon, Lucy decided to bite the bullet and go find Kara. She had honestly expected the blonde to blow up her phone with messages but there had been nothing. Not even an emoji. There was no mention of Supergirl in the news either. It didn't take a genius to realize that Kara was avoiding her.

Lucy was still a little mad but most of the ire had withered away when she shifted her attention to work. A few hours of crunch time was a great outlet but the fact that Kara had not once made an appearance left Lucy feeling worried. It was very out of character for her. Kara was known for her tendency to push on, no matter how painfully awkward or socially insensitive it was.

Kara not making a move was an unknown variable.

However, Miss Grant was expecting Lucy's notes to be on her desk before the end of the day so Lucy had to make a trip up to there anyways. If luck was on her side, Kara would be there and not too awfully busy.

Her heartbeat started to pick up as she took the elevator up. She needed to find the right combination of words to say. While she sincerely hoped their friendship was not screwed, she also couldn't give in too much or her pride would never let her live it down. Kara's fault was in not telling her. Hers was in faulting her for not doing so.

Lucy stepped off onto Cat's floor and nodded to the receptionist as she made her way over to Kara's desk. She faltered when she didn't see her. She briefly glanced into Cat's office to see that her boss was on a call.

"Hey, Winn."

He looked up from his computer.

"Do you know where Kara is? I have to talk to her."

"I think she went to make copies… Is everything okay?" he asked. "She has been moping all afternoon. I asked her if she was okay but she just looked at me all woeful and ignored me. Even Cat went sniffing around. I thought she was going to fire me when I said I didn't know!"

Lucy twisted the notes in her hands. "Well… we kind of had a fight at lunchtime and Kara is probably thinking it's all her fault. That's why I have to speak with her."

He sat up straight, looking defensive. "What happened?"

"It has to do with my sister. Kara neglected to tell me that she was close to her and I didn't take it well." Lucy gave Winn an accusing glance. "Did you know her cousin was dating Lois?"

"Your sister is dating Sup—I mean, Clark Kent?"

"I guess that answers my question."

Lucy must have looked put out because Winn was suddenly giving her his doe eyes. "Hey, I know what it's like to be the third party. James came out of nowhere when it was just me and Kara, and he knew everything, even things Kara didn't know."

Of course, good ol' Jimmy Olsen. Even Miss Grant knew he had connections to Superman.

"It sucks but you have to remember that this is Kara," he continued. "She doesn't act out of malicious intent. If anything, she probably didn't realize her mistake. We both know she isn't the most socially adept person around. She did spend half her life on a different world after all."

"That is true," Lucy said. She gripped his shoulder gently. "Thanks for the pep talk, Winn. I needed that."

He grinned. "Hey, if you can get Miss Grant off my back about Kara, then we're even."

"I'll try!" she said as she headed toward the copy room. Winn saluted her off.

Lucy found Kara right where he said she would. She was standing in front of the copier, staring listlessly at the blank wall as the machine rolled out sheet after sheet. Lucy peered curiously at the rack, which currently held around fifty sheets of printed paper.

"Kara?" she announced hesitantly.

Kara jumped and stared wide eyed at her. "L-Lucy? What are you doing here?"

"I thought we might talk…"

"Yeah, of course!" She glanced at the packet in her hands, then at the stack of paper and started panicking. "Oh, no! No, no, no!"

She jabbed the cancel button on the machine repetitively. "I printed the wrong thing!"

Lucy cleared her throat. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, it's fine! Just give me a second…"

"Kara—"

The button cracked and the two women froze. Kara slowly backed away from the copier. The machine had stopped printing but the cancel button was now exhibiting serious signs of damage.

Lucy grasped Kara's hands and led her over to a chair in the corner. "Let's not mess with this copy machine anymore."

"You're right," she muttered. "I'll notify the office manager to take a look later."

Lucy took a seat across from her, the tense silence stifling the atmosphere around them. She tried to catch Kara's gaze but the blonde was trying very hard to avoid her eyes. Lucy opened her mouth to begin but Kara beat her to it.

"Lucy, please don't be mad at me. I should have told you about Lois, especially after we decided not to have secrets from each other anymore. I don't know why I didn't. I thought you didn't get along with your sister and I was afraid you wouldn't want to be my friend if you knew. I was waiting for the right time to tell you but a week passed, then another and another. All of a sudden, Lois is coming by to visit and you saw us. I tried to play it cool but then you were angry."

Kara took a deep breath. "I don't want to lose you as a friend. You mean a lot to me. I'm really sorry. Super sorry."

"Kara, I—"

"Please forgive me. It hurts to think that you won't be my friend anymore. I'll do anything!"

Lucy shushed her with a finger.

"Let me talk."

Kara nodded, making a zipper motion with her hand.

"Kara, I'm not mad…"

"You're not?" she said, surprised. She covered her mouth with her hand when she realized she interrupted.

"Not as much as before. Lois explained some things to me. I had time to think about it, to let the shock wear over and looking back at it now, I regret reacting the way I did. Seeing the two of you together, close enough to call each other family, brought up a lot of old insecurities for me. I don't like to be lied to and for the most part, I don't like being second best. As a sister or well, losing to my sister."

Kara put her hand over Lucy's. "I didn't mean to make you feel like that. Both you and Lois are important to me in different ways and I care about you two very much."

"I know you didn't mean to. You're the nicest person I know. You're genuine and selfless, which are all things I like about you and also why I can't stay mad at you. You're a great friend."

"You're a great friend too," Kara beamed.

Lucy reached in for a hug, Kara wrapping her arms tightly around her torso, and they stayed that way for a while, Lucy reveling in it probably more than she should.

Kara pulled back with a relieved smile. "You have to come by my place later. We're having a party!"

"I know. Lois forced the details on me earlier. If I don't show up, she might come by with her flyboy and swoosh me right through your window."

Kara chuckled awkwardly. "She told you about my cousin, huh?"

"Yep. Didn't see that one coming despite how obvious it seems now." She gave Kara a once over. "You're basically a female carbon copy. How'd you two manage that?"

Kara stuck her tongue out. "We're actually very different. You'll see."

"You forget that I actually have met him. As far as I can tell, you two are very alike." She paused and hummed. "Well, you are more obstinate that him."

"Obstinate? You're kidding!"

"Yeah, and he's a lot more charming."

Kara scoffed. "I can be charming!"

Lucy wasn't going to argue with that. Kara had a way of warming people's hearts despite being quite the opposite of suave.

"Don't you have copies to make?" Lucy jested.

"Yes, don't you, Kiera?" a cool, tight voice cut in from the doorway.

"Miss Grant!" Kara yelped. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that my assistant thinks she's charming." Cat clucked her tongue. "Not sure I can fathom how when the task I asked for half an hour ago still hasn't been done."

"I'm sorry. The copy machine has been giving me problems. I think it's broken."

Cat looked at her as if she couldn't quite figure out the younger generation. "I pay you to figure out my problems, Kiera. Not the other way around." She walked over to examine the equipment for herself. She paused. "What on earth happened to the screen? And the button is shattered…" She closed her eyes and tightened her shoulders as if to brace herself. "The things I have to put up with in this office."

Kara gulped.

Cat looked at the stack of paper on the output rack. "And what are these?"

"That's uh, that's," Kara started. "Um…"

Lucy stepped in. "The machine would not stop printing. I saw Kara struggling in here and I stopped to help her. I think it's safe to say that the machine is a goner."

Cat eyed her critically. "And what were you doing up here? Do you have the notes I asked for?"

"Yes, of course. That's exactly why I'm here." Lucy held out the notes to her, which had certainly seen better days. She must have strangled them a little while talking to Kara.

Cat gingerly took them from her, unused to the lack of professional quality in her legal counsel's work. "Great… I will review them after the meeting, which I have yet to start because I need those copies, Kiera."

"I'm sorry, Miss Grant! I will use the other copier. I'll have them to you in ten minutes."

"You better."

Kara nodded and hurried out of the room. Cat barely spared Lucy a glance before leaving as well.

"That worked out well," Lucy said to empty space.

* * *

Lucy took a deep breath and gave the door four sharp raps.

As she waited, she took the moment to readjust the bottle of wine in her arms. She didn't particularly favor this brand, expensive as it was, but it was a favorite of Lois and was the least she could do in return for helping her and Kara patch things.

The door opened wide and Lucy was met with a pair of blue eyes on a towering form.

"Hi!" Lucy greeted, surprised. "I don't know if you remember me but I'm Lucy, Lois' sister."

Clark gave her a warm smile. "Of course I remember! How are you? It's been a while."

"I'm doing fine! You?"

"Superb." He waved her in. "Lois is in Kara's bedroom, waiting for her to come back. James and Winn are sitting by the television."

Clark took the bottle from her hands and Lucy busied herself with hanging up her blazer on a nearby coat rack. From the side of her eye, she observed him.

For the most part, he looked the same. He had neatly parted hair, black rimmed glasses, and a clean-shaven cleft chin, complete with a crease ironed suit. She tried to picture him as Superman but it was difficult to reconcile the amenable boy scout before her with the caped powerhouse. It had been the same with Kara as well. Even in light of the truth it was hard to imagine her as Supergirl until she started hanging out with Kara as Supergirl. When she wasn't putting up a stern front, Supergirl was just as dorky and happy go lucky as Lucy expected of her friend.

She squinted at his hairline, where Superman would sport a curl. She kind of wanted to ask him about it.

"Would it help if I took my glasses off?" he joked good-naturedly.

Lucy backpedaled. "No, uh, why? I wasn't trying to…"

"See Superman?"

"Alright, you caught me," Lucy admitted. "Secret identities fascinate me. Kara took me off guard and so did you."

"Well, I'm glad to amuse you."

Lucy turned red. It was so not the impression she was hoping to make but Clark smiled, a little lopsidedly, just as Kara would, and Lucy felt some of the tension slip away.

"She's been mentioning you a lot lately," he noted. "It's nice to see her break out of her circle and make new friends."

"I'm glad she's my friend too," Lucy said. "Kara's an amazing person. Even before I knew she was Supergirl. I feel lucky that I got the chance to know her."

"I'm sure she's lucky to have you as a friend too. From what I hear, you're quite the hot shot yourself." He gave her a friendly wink and for some reason, that cracked Lucy into a fit of giggles.

"What?" he asked, checking his appearance in the mirror by the door. He adjusted his glasses and that prompted Lucy into another round of laughter.

"Nothing… it's just that… well, at least you can wink. Kara couldn't wink properly to save her own life. She scrunches half her face and looks like she's been hit in the eye."

Clark raised his eyebrows.

"And then you did the same thing with your glasses that she does." Lucy attempted to put on a straight face. "I'm sorry. It's just that you two are quite alike. It's interesting to see the similarities and differences. I suppose it's like comparing Lois to me."

Clark cocked his head in acknowledgement, then whispered conspiratorially, "For the record, you aren't as bullheaded at Lois but shh, don't tell her I said that."

Lucy opened her mouth to reply but at that moment, Kara came sprinting in from her bedroom. She must have just flown in from an emergency because she didn't have her glasses on and her hair was a mess. There was even soot on her cheek. Lois followed after her.

"Clark!" Kara squealed. She practically flew right into him, the impact audible enough for everyone to hear. A normal person would have hit the floor and sustained a few broken ribs.

Kara squeezed him tightly, pressing her face into his chest. "I can't believe you're here! I missed you so much!"

Clark reciprocated a gentler hug. "I missed you too."

Lucy and Lois exchanged looks and realized they both had soft, sappy expressions on their faces. Lucy quickly schooled her features and she could tell Lois did as well.

Lucy sidestepped the trio and made her way to the couch by the television, where James and Winn were sitting. James said hello to her but Winn sat there gawking at Clark.

"You okay there, Winn?" James asked, fighting back a smirk.

Winn lifted a finger to point. "I can't believe it. Superman's really here!" He looked like a boy on Christmas morning. "Superman," he repeated reverently.

"We know," James and Lucy chimed.

"How can you not be excited? He's Superman."

James shrugged. "You get used to it."

Winn looked at him as if he was the alien in the room. "Alright, you don't have to rub it in our faces that you're friends already. How about you, Lucy? Isn't he just majestic?"

"Sure, I guess. I was shocked initially but after speaking with him, he reminded me a lot of Kara. You don't gawk every time Kara enters a room do you?"

His ears turned red. "Maybe back when, you know… and while she is awesome, once you have seen her ugly sob over a Pixar film with two empty half gallon ice cream tubs, you can't ever go back." He winced. "Or that one time she spill nacho cheese all over herself and the kitchen but proceeded to eat it anyway. Or when—"

"Okay, okay!" James interrupted. "We don't need to hear about Kara's most embarrassing moments."

"Trust me, embarrassed was the last thing she was," Winn muttered.

Lucy was inclined to agree. Kara could be a bit shameless and was even more so around people she was close with. Best friend Winn have probably seen her at some of her worst. She was also curious about what Alex had to say about her own experiences. Lucy could never hear enough of Kara. Even her sloppy moments were endearing.

As if on cue, Alex barged in through the front door with little fanfare. "Hey, Kara, are they here yet?"

"Hey, Alex," Lois greeted, offering only a nod.

Alex nodded curtly back at her and went to give Clark a brief hug. "Hey, Clark. Thanks for being there for my sister."

"She can be a handful at times, can't she?" he said.

"Tell me about it," Alex sighed.

Kara hugged Alex tightly. "Oh, stop it. You love me anyway."

"The most."

"Where's J'onn? Is he coming?" she asked.

Alex laughed. "No, he's practically a recluse. Believe me, I tried but I suspect he thinks two Danvers is more than enough for his patience. I doubt he wants to add a whole new mix of personalities. His head might implode."

Kara shook her head. "You're the worst. You need to stop stressing him out."

"See?" Alex rolled her eyes at Lois and Clark. "What did I tell you? She thinks she's an angel."

"I do not!"

Alex deigned a little smirk. "Maybe we spoil you too much."

Kara harrumphed and crossed her arms at the ridicule. "Not funny."

Alex clapped Kara's back in good humor and made her way over to the dinner table, where Lois had already started placing the dishes out. James, Winn, and Lucy offered their help while Kara opened a few gifts from Clark.

A short while later, the food was ready and both Kara and Clark looked bright at the prospect of filling their stomachs. The cousins took seats across from each other while Lucy sat on Kara's right and across from Lois. Winn sat on Kara's left, facing Alex, leaving James to sit at the head of the table.

Kara began eating with gusto. Clark was slower to act but once he dug in, everyone else took their cue to scoop out their portions. They chatted about mundane topics for a while, complementing the food, discussing the news, what was going on at work, Winn asking Clark superhero questions, etc…

"Is there anyone new in your life, Lucy?" Lois asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

Lucy paused, fork midway. Even James looked a little uncomfortable at the question. "No," she replied.

Lois raised an eyebrow.

"I've been busy lately, with the new job and all," Lucy elaborated. And trying to sort out her feelings toward a particular blonde friend of hers.

Lois looked at Kara. "How about you, Kara?"

"What?" she said through a mouthful of food. She swallowed. "No. No, I'm not dating anyone."

"Well," Alex began. "She had a short fling with her boss' oldest son, Adam."

Lucy choked mid-sip. She did not know that.

Lois gave her a funny look. "I didn't know she had another kid."

Neither did Lucy and she was Cat's legal counsel.

"From her first marriage," Kara answered, skeptical about giving Lois more information than necessary. "They're estranged. I tried my best to reconnect them and Adam and I kind of hit it off immediately."

"I remember you mentioning him," Clark commented. "He seemed nice."

"What happened to him?" Lucy asked.

Kara shifted uneasily. "Being Supergirl was a big part of my life and I decided that I didn't have room for him in it… couldn't have him in it."

Lucy's stomach rolled at the revelation. Was that why Kara didn't make a move with James? Did her duties take priority? Or was she afraid of putting another person in danger?

"And what about now?" Clark asked.

Kara blushed. "I don't know. It's hard to let people get close to me but I love my family and friends and I think they keep me true. I find strength in their love and my love for them. I don't think there's any hope for me and Adam but I think I could be more open when it comes to dating again."

Lois leaned back in her chair. "Adam was your age, right?"

Kara nodded, a little confused.

"What I want to know is why Grant insists on lying about her age when she has a twenty-something year old son."

James shook his head. "You have to let that go. You can't keep feeding this feud between you and Miss Grant. It's ridiculous."

"Let it be known that she started it first," said Lois.

"Because that makes so much more sense," Alex deadpanned. "Do you honestly even care?"

"On a level, yes, I do hate her guts. But look at her! She's so uptight. It's amusing to mess with her. Back when we worked together, it was the highlight of my day to see how fast I can make her lose her cool."

Kara sputtered. "Lois! Miss Grant freaks out at the slightest mention of you. It really isn't funny. I really hate to think what would happen if she knew I've known you personally for a third of my life."

"I'd really hate to find out what she would do to me if she knew Lois was in my office earlier today," Lucy muttered.

Kara gasped. "You stepped foot into her building?! How did you get past security?"

Lois busied herself with heaping another spoonful of potatoes onto Clark's plate.

"Don't tell me you still walk around with fake IDs on you," Lucy said with a frown.

"Hey, you never know when you might need one," Lois argued.

Alex pinched her brows. "Please refrain from talking about breaking the law in my presence."

"Why? Your job is to fight alien threats, not counteract forgery."

"It's the principle, Lois," Alex explained, waving her fork around. "I need plausible deniability."

"Why? Is my father going to barge into the DEO and run a background check on every agent for a connection to me?"

"So not the point," Alex retorted. "Besides, Sam Lane isn't going to take over the DEO if we can help it. He can gripe as much as he wants but we're fine just as we are."

"Good luck with that. He never takes no for an answer."

Lucy held her tongue. She wasn't going to rehash the same argument over again. She had tried over and over to mend the relationship between their dad and Lois but to no avail. Nothing short of life and death would get the pair to acknowledge each other.

Kara reached for Lucy's hand under the table, sensing that she was uncomfortable with the subject. Lucy flushed a little but squeezed back in acknowledgement.

"Did I tell you that Alex went on date with Maxwell Lord?" Kara asked, directing the conversation away from the train wreck.

Alex spat her wine out, causing Winn to squeal as his shirt was doused.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry," Alex apologized. She shot Kara a glare. "What the heck, Kara?! That was DEO business."

"I was just joking! I didn't think you would take it so seriously," Kara said, eyeing her sister incredulously. Lucy wasn't sure if she should feel guilty that Kara toed a sensitive line with Alex in order to diffuse a potential lifetime episode of Lane family drama.

Alex tensed. "Why shouldn't I? He threatened you, remember? He slipped a freaking camera onto my bag like a pervert and found out your secret identity!"

"He what now?" Clark exclaimed, face hardening. "Kara, you didn't tell me this."

Kara reached to fiddle with her glasses, which weren't on her face. "Um, it's all handled now. We're kind of at a truce."

"Not sure if that makes me feel better," said Clark.

"You don't have to worry. I'll break every bone in his body if he tries anything again," Alex gritted out. "I would wipe that cocky smile off his smug face and have him beg for mercy."

There was an awkward silence at the table.

Lois cleared her throat. "Ahem, um, how about you, James? Winn? Seeing anyone?"

"No, I, uh, have been taking it slow since Lucy and I, uh, ended things," James answered, glancing between the Lane sisters nervously. He wasn't sure where he stood when it came to Lois on the issue. He may have been a close friend but Lucy _was her baby sister_.

"Well, I actually have been dating someone at the DEO," Winn said, hand reaching for the back of his neck. "Alex set us up on a date and we've been on a few more since then."

Kara sat up straight in her seat. "Are you finally going to tell me who it is?"

"Vargas," Alex answered. "Other than J'onn, I trust her the most. She's single. He's single. I thought why not. Besides, I thought it would be nice to try and get you some more friends at the DEO. It's a little off putting to see you walk around the base with such a serious face on."

"Well, I can hardly be chummy with everyone. I'm supposed to be Supergirl, an alien superhero, at a base that wards off alien threats. Do you know how many agents I caught with my super hearing that think you and I are in a clandestine relationship of the non-platonic variety?!"

Alex cringed. "Yes, I know. I broke up a pool the other day. When I told J'onn about it, he said it wasn't a single incident."

Kara made a barfing motion. Lucy however, was feeling jealous even if there was no basis for it. The only person to ever mistake her and Kara to be in a relationship was Cat and that was something she intended to hide from Lois, if only to save Kara the embarrassment.

"Oh, that explains some things…" Winn said quietly.

"What things? Was Vargas talking about me?" Alex inquired in suspicion.

He slid back from Alex's hard gaze. "On our first date, I thought it was kind of weird that she was asking about you, you know, how well I know you, etc… Then she started talking about Supergirl and asking me what I thought about her."

"I asked her if she knew about the pool and she denied it," Alex grumbled, rubbing her temple with two fingers.

"It was just that one time!" Winn protested. "Please don't get her in trouble. I haven't even asked her to be my girlfriend yet!"

"Relax," Kara said. "Alex wouldn't do that. Right, Alex?" She gave her a pointed look.

Alex only grunted in response.

Clark clapped his hands together to break the tension. "Well, gang, Lois and I have some news for you."

"Good news, I hope," James said, voicing everyone else's apprehension.

"Lois and I are engaged."

Kara jumped up like a ball of sunshine, uplifting her end of the table by a good half foot. Everyone else scrambled to save the dishes and cutlery from meeting the floor.

"Oh, Rao! I can't believe it!" She glowed with her hands clasped together. "We're going to be family!"

Lois smiled wide. "More than we already are?"

Kara waved her off. "You know what I mean. This is so exciting!"

"Congratulations!" James offered, standing up to give Clark a handshake and Lois a hug.

"Yeah, this is great!" Winn said. "How did it happen? Did he propose?"

Lois nodded. "He kept it simple. He flew me around the city before landing on top of the Daily Planet. He had a sweet speech prepared and got down on one knee."

"Can I see the ring?" Alex asked.

Lois lifted a chain necklace from under her shirt, where a diamond ring was hanging. "We wanted it to be a surprise. Life gets crazy with Clark and Kara saving the world and all, and we thought now would be the best time to get married."

"So is it going to be a long engagement or are you planning to tie the knot soon?" Alex asked.

Lois and Clark exchanged glances. "We don't know yet but we do want all of you to be there."

Kara squealed and was about to launch in a hug with the couple when both Kryptonians jerked their head toward the window in unison. Everyone else at the table knew the pair well enough to know it was their cue to leave.

"Team up?" Kara asked her cousin, eyes bright at the thought.

He grinned. "Did you even have to ask?"

He took off his glasses and the two simultaneously pulled opened their shirts to reveal their house symbol.

Winn just about fainted.

"We promise we'll be back as soon as we can," Clark assured, giving everyone an apologetic glance.

"We'll be careful," said Kara, head already out the window.

"You better!" Alex shouted as Clark and Kara took off.

Everyone just stood there for a while before deciding that dinner was pretty much over. Alex called the DEO to check in while Lucy and Winn wrapped up the leftovers and Lois and James washed the dishes. When everything was finished, they sat around the television and watched the news for Clark and Kara.

About twenty minutes through, Lucy went out to the hallway to take a business call about some sensitive paperwork her assistant was having trouble with. When she hung up, she noticed that Lois was waiting for her outside the door.

"Do you mind if we talk?" Lois asked, walking toward the window to stand next to her.

"About what?" Lucy fought the urge to cross her arms and slouch dismissively like a surly teenager, the way she used to when they were younger.

"About Kara."

Cold panic welled up inside Lucy. She clamped her jaw down as she felt her hackles rise.

"Do you like her?" Lois asked, not one for holding back blows.

"She's my friend, of course I like her. Are you implying that Dad has me out on some secret mission?"

"Far from it," Lois said brusquely. "I see the way you look at her. You like her."

Lucy shouldered past her, torn between wrenching the door back inside and leaving the party altogether. "What do you want, Lois? Do you have a point?"

A flash of hurt crossed her face. "I just want to talk. I want to make sure everything is alright with you."

" _I'm fine._ Is that what you want to hear?"

"Lucy, I know it's none of my business but I am your sister. You tell me that you and James are over but then there's this weird tension at the table. I got the feeling that James was into Kara. That much was apparent. I thought maybe you still loved him but you never did hide your jealousy well. Your reaction just now confirmed it for me."

Lucy let out a long, trying sigh and palmed her face, feeling the flush surfacing to her skin. "God, I am a grown woman. How is it that you can make me feel so mortified?"

Lois shrugged and played with a lock of her hair, looking very unaffected. "It's alright. Part of the job of being a sibling."

"You're going to marry her cousin. We're going to be related. This is a nightmare." Lucy may have been ticked at her but the gate was opened and she didn't have the energy to stop the words from spilling. While not the most sympathetic ally around, Lois was Lucy's best sounding board.

"You need to relax. No one outside of our little circle will know. Kara and Clark are not legally cousins on paper."

Okay, maybe not her best sounding board after all.

Lucy gave Lois the stink eye. "Not sure if that makes me feel better. Besides, she's in love with James. It's obvious."

"Is it?"

Lucy would have kicked at the ground like a toddler if it wouldn't have lost her the few cool sister points she had left. She settled for running a frazzled had through her hair.

"Then why aren't they together?" Lois asked. "James seems to like her, even if he's all stoic about it."

Lucy thought back to what Kara had said a few weeks ago when she had asked her the same question. "She said it wasn't the right time and that she needed to sort out her feelings. I'm assuming she's getting cold feet just like she did with Adam."

"Well, I think she likes you," Lois presented candidly.

At the mere suggestion, Lucy could feel a swirl of hope blossom in her chest. "Why?"

"You should see the way she talks about you. It was the same way she talked about Grant and James when she thought I wasn't looking at Clark's messages." At Lucy's expression, Lois grimaced. "Yes, I knew all about her crush on Grant. I did try my best to talk her out of it."

"Oh."

"Kara is like a neon sign when she likes someone. Unfortunately, she always picks the obtuse ones." Lois shook her head as if Kara's love life was an exasperating ordeal in a romantic-comedy.

It was almost too good to be true.

"You really think she likes me?" Lucy asked. She hadn't meant to sound meek but something in her voice must have caused Lois to put down her front because she was watching her with a solemn air, her face devoid of its usual brazenness.

Lois placed her hands on Lucy's shoulders. "All I can say is that you won't know if you don't try. Do you like her enough to know that you'll regret it if you never say anything?"

Lucy didn't even have to give it a thought. She nodded, the realization setting her eyes wide.

Lois returned a wistful smile. She stepped back, looked as if she was searching for something to say, then clapped her hands together once, her smile smoothing out into a blatant grin. "Now that we got that out of the way, how do you feel about being my maid of honor?"


End file.
